Iraqi FM says Kurdistan referendum to affect whole region

CAIRO – 12 September 2017: Iraqi Foreign Affairs Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari described on Tuesday the referendum for the independence of Kurdistan’s Region as “a dangerous indicator” on the separation of an important part of his country’s territories.
The minister stressed that his state preserves the unity of its territories which is “an ultimate honor.”

Iraq’s parliament voted on Tuesday to reject a referendum on Kurdish independence planned for September 25, authorizing the prime minister to “take all measures” to preserve Iraq’s unity, lawmakers told Reuters.

Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session before the vote and issued statements afterwards rejecting the decision.

As BBC reported, the referendum would take place in the three governorates of Kurdistan Region which are Erbil, Dohuk, and Sulaymaniyah as well as the Kurdish-majority areas liberated by Peshmerga forces from the Islamic State (IS) control.
Western powers fear a plebiscite in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region - including the oil city of Kirkuk – which could ignite conflict with the central government in Baghdad and divert attention from the war against Islamic State militants, according to Reuters.

Al-Jaafari asserted that Iraq would continue its war against terror and extremism, and that the Iraqi government would “proceed with political reform and social reconciliation.”
The minister stated that his country’s experience with combating IS is a unique experience to be emulated in confrontations with terrorist groups, affirming that there no sectarian fighting in Iraq, and wishing success to all countries in combating IS.